Pregnant Darfur woman dies as militia blocks road

A pregnant woman and her baby died in Golo in Central Darfur on Monday when pro-government militiamen, who were allegedly imposing tolls on vehicles leaving the town, refused to let her pass. One of the relatives of Rauda Mohamed Al Tahir told Radio Dabanga that Al Tahir had gone into labour, and was having complications with the birth of her first child. She was being transported to Nertiti hospital for an emergency caesarean section. The vehicle transporting her was stopped by militiamen at the gates of Golo, who demanded that her family pay a toll of SDG1,000 ($225). The relative said that the family did not have that amount of money, so the militiamen refused to let them pass, “even though we explained the situation to them and in spite of Rauda’s screams of pain”. Both mother and child reportedly died shortly afterwards. The witness said that the same pro-government militiamen continued to impose fees on every vehicle leaving Golo. File photo: A Darfur mother with her new-born child (Albert González Farran/Unamid)Related: Woman miscarries after beating on road to Bir Dageeg, West Darfur (15 May 2013)